Live measurements from your device to each server.
How is this measured?
Browsers cannot send ICMP pings, so each reading times small HTTPS requests to the server over a connection that stays open and keeps the fastest of three back-to-back requests. The large number is the median of the last five readings, which smooths out single spikes. HTTPS adds a little server processing time, so values can sit a few milliseconds above a terminal ping. Errors counts failed requests; it is not packet loss.
Location and network
Your device and browser
Look up any IP address
Networking guide: IP addresses, CIDR, NAT and BGP
What is an IP address?
An IP (Internet Protocol) address is a numeric label that identifies a device's network interface and tells routers where to deliver data. IPv4 uses 32 bits, written as four decimal numbers from 0 to 255 (for example 203.0.113.7), which allows about 4.3 billion addresses. IPv6 uses 128 bits, written as eight groups of hexadecimal digits that can be shortened with “::” (for example 2001:db8::1), which allows about 3.4 × 1038 addresses. Both run side by side on today's internet.
Public vs. private IP addresses
A public address is reachable on the internet and is assigned by your ISP. Private addresses are reserved for local networks and are not routed on the internet (RFC 1918): 10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12 and 192.168.0.0/16. Other special IPv4 ranges include 127.0.0.0/8 (loopback), 169.254.0.0/16 (link-local) and 100.64.0.0/10 (shared space used for carrier-grade NAT). In IPv6, fc00::/7 is unique local, fe80::/10 is link-local and ::1 is loopback.
What is CIDR?
CIDR (Classless Inter-Domain Routing) writes a network as an address plus a prefix length, such as 192.168.1.0/24. The number after the slash is how many leading bits identify the network; the remaining bits identify hosts. An IPv4 block holds 2(32 − prefix) addresses. CIDR replaced the fixed Class A, B and C scheme in 1993, which cut address waste and lets providers aggregate many routes into one.
Prefix
Subnet mask
Addresses
Usable hosts
/8
255.0.0.0
16,777,216
16,777,214
/16
255.255.0.0
65,536
65,534
/24
255.255.255.0
256
254
/30
255.255.255.252
4
2
/32
255.255.255.255
1
single host
Usable hosts exclude the network and broadcast addresses. The exceptions are /31, used for point-to-point links (RFC 3021), and /32, a single host route.
Subnet mask and default gateway
The subnet mask tells a device which part of an address is the network and which part is the host. The default gateway is the router address a device sends traffic to when the destination is outside its own subnet.
NAT and CGNAT
Network Address Translation (NAT) lets every device on a home network share one public IPv4 address. Your router rewrites the source address and port of outgoing packets and keeps a table so replies reach the right device. Some ISPs go further with carrier-grade NAT (CGNAT), where many customers share one public address, so the IP shown above may not belong to you alone and may differ from your router's WAN address.
ASN, ISP and BGP
An Autonomous System (AS) is a network, or group of networks, run under a single routing policy and identified by an Autonomous System Number (ASN). Autonomous systems exchange reachability information using BGP (Border Gateway Protocol), which is how the internet learns which path leads to which block of addresses. IP blocks and ASNs are allocated by five Regional Internet Registries: ARIN, RIPE NCC, APNIC, LACNIC and AFRINIC.
How data travels across the internet
Data is split into packets. Each packet carries source and destination IP addresses in its header, and every router along the way forwards it to the next hop using its routing table. Packets from one message can take different paths and are reassembled at the destination. A TTL (time to live) field in IPv4, called hop limit in IPv6, drops a packet after a fixed number of hops so routing loops cannot last forever. TCP adds reliable, ordered delivery on top of IP, while UDP trades reliability for lower latency.
Online privacy and security guide
Is my IP address private information?
Your IP address is not secret: every website you visit needs it to send data back to you. On its own it reveals your internet provider and an approximate area, usually a city or region and often your provider's regional hub, not your street address. The risk comes from combination. Sites and ad networks can link an address to cookies, accounts and browsing habits, and your ISP can tie it to your subscription. In the EU, an IP address can count as personal data under the GDPR when it can be linked to an individual.
What is a VPN and how does it work?
A VPN (virtual private network) creates an encrypted tunnel between your device and a server run by the VPN provider. Websites then see the server's IP address instead of yours, and your internet provider or the local Wi-Fi network sees only encrypted traffic going to the VPN server. Common VPN protocols include WireGuard, OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPsec.
What a VPN does and does not protect
It hides your real IP address from the sites you visit and encrypts your traffic on untrusted networks such as public Wi-Fi.
It moves trust rather than removing it: the VPN provider can see which servers you connect to, so choose one with a clear no-logs policy and independent audits.
It does not make you anonymous. Cookies, logins and browser fingerprinting can still identify you.
It does not stop malware or phishing, and it can reduce your connection speed.
How to check that your VPN is working
Open this page before connecting and note your IP address and ISP. Connect to the VPN and refresh: the address, ISP and location should now belong to the VPN server. If your real ISP or an IPv6 address still appears, traffic is leaking around the tunnel. A DNS leak happens when your DNS queries still go to your ISP's resolver instead of the VPN's, so also run a dedicated DNS leak test.
How to protect your data online
Use a password manager to create a long, unique password for every account.
Turn on two-factor authentication, preferably with an authenticator app or a security key rather than SMS.
Keep your operating system, browser, apps and router firmware up to date.
Check for https:// and the padlock before entering passwords or payment details, and treat unexpected links and attachments with suspicion.
Secure your router: change the default admin password, use WPA3 or WPA2 with a strong passphrase, and turn off WPS and remote administration.
Avoid sensitive tasks on public Wi-Fi, or use a trusted VPN.
Review app permissions and privacy settings, and back up important files regularly.
HTTPS and the padlock
HTTPS encrypts data between your browser and a website using TLS, so people on the same network cannot read or alter it, and a certificate confirms which domain you are talking to. The padlock does not prove that a site is trustworthy: phishing sites can use HTTPS too, so always check the domain name.
DNS and encrypted DNS
The Domain Name System (DNS) turns names like example.com into IP addresses. Traditional DNS queries are unencrypted, so your network operator can see and sometimes alter them. DNS over TLS (RFC 7858) and DNS over HTTPS (RFC 8484) encrypt those queries. Public resolvers such as Google (8.8.8.8) and Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) support both, which is why the latency monitor above measures them.
IPv6 and privacy
Early IPv6 address formats could embed a hardware-derived identifier that stayed the same across networks. Modern systems avoid this with randomized and temporary addresses (RFC 8981), but it is still worth knowing which of your addresses a website sees.
Your privacy on this site
This page uses no cookies, accounts or analytics, and it does not store your IP address. To show your location and provider, your browser sends your IP address to third-party lookup services (ipwho.is, with ipapi.co and ipify as fallbacks, and a public STUN server as a last resort). Fonts load from Google Fonts, and the latency monitor sends small requests to Google (8.8.8.8) and Cloudflare (1.1.1.1). Like any website, the server hosting this page may keep standard access logs. Your theme choice is saved only in your own browser.
Frequently asked questions
Can someone find my exact address from my IP address?
No. An IP address maps to a region, at best a city, and often to your ISP's regional hub rather than your home. Only your ISP can link an address to a subscriber, and it usually does so only under legal process.
Why did my IP address change?
Most ISPs assign dynamic addresses using DHCP. Your address can change when your router restarts, when a lease expires, or when you switch networks, for example from Wi-Fi to mobile data.
How do I hide my IP address?
A VPN, proxy or Tor routes your traffic through another server, so websites see that server's address instead of yours. This changes who can see your IP address, but it does not make you anonymous.
Why is my device's IP different from the one shown here?
An address such as 192.168.x.x is your device's private address on your local network. This page shows the public address that your router, or your ISP's NAT, presents to the internet.
Does a VPN make me anonymous?
No. A VPN hides your IP address from websites and encrypts your traffic on the local network, but the VPN provider can still see your connection data, and cookies, logins and browser fingerprinting can still identify you.
Is it legal to use a VPN?
In most countries it is legal, and companies and individuals use VPNs every day. A few countries restrict or ban them, and a VPN does not make illegal activity legal, so check the rules where you live.
Can websites see my IP address in private or incognito mode?
Yes. Private browsing only stops your browser from saving history and cookies on your device. Websites, your network and your ISP still see your IP address.
Should I worry if someone has my IP address?
Usually not. An IP address does not reveal your name or home address. The main risks are nuisance attacks such as denial-of-service attempts against home connections, and tracking across sites, so keep your router updated and consider a VPN on untrusted networks.